Ethiopia sustains its leading role on climate change

Ethiopia expressed its strong commitment towards strengthening its role on climate change at the Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) meeting held today (January 31) on the sidelines of the 28th AU Summit.Ethiopia noted its readiness to work on the speedy implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement (COP 21) entered into force in November 2016.The country has dedicated particular emphasis on mitigation adaptation, climate financing, capacity building and transfer oftechnology. It was noted, as Ethiopia is among the most vulnerable countries to the negative consequences of climate change, it is playing a big role in Climate Vulnerable Forum which aims to increase the presence and visibility of member states at international, regional and domestic levels .It was also made clear that Ethiopia strongly advocates the importance of taking urgent actions to address the negative effects of climate change. On the occasion, two new initiatives that would see a "unified Africa" diversify its sources of funding to confront climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions were adopted.Tabled by the outgoing Coordinator of CAHOSCC, President Abdelfetah El Sisi, the adoption of the initiatives was praised as a big step in creating ownership under the African Union framework. The two initiatives are African Adaptation Initiative (AAI) and African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI).Given Climate Change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world, with Africa already experiencing some of the most severe impacts, the continent's leaders have proactively responded with the establishment of the Committee of Africa Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) to influence global negotiations.